India likely used BrahMos in combat for first time in precision strikes on Pakistan: Report
India launched coordinated precision airstrikes early Saturday on eight Pakistani military sites, deep inside enemy territory.
- May 11, 2025,
- Updated May 11, 2025 10:06 AM IST
India is believed to have used the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile for the first time in combat during a series of precision airstrikes on Pakistani military targets early Saturday, The Indian Express reported on Sunday. India launched coordinated precision airstrikes early Saturday on eight Pakistani military sites, deep inside enemy territory. The strikes, carried out using advanced air-launched munitions, followed a series of attempted attacks by Pakistan targeting Indian military and civilian installations.
Key Pakistani bases — Rafiqui (Shorkot, Jhang), Murid (Chakwal), Nur Khan (Chaklala, Rawalpindi), Rahim Yar Khan, Sukkur, and Chunian (Kasur) — were among those hit. The Indian Air Force also targeted radar sites at Pasrur and Sialkot, as well as strategic airbases at Skardu, Bholari, Jacobabad, and Sargodha, reportedly inflicting extensive damage.
Air-launched precision weapons used in the operation likely included the SCALP cruise missile, HAMMER precision-guided munitions, and the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile — potentially in its first operational use. Both HAMMER and SCALP can be deployed from Rafale fighter jets. Official confirmation on BrahMos use remains pending, but multiple sources indicate its deployment, according to the report.
India's Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) confirmed the strikes were a direct response to Pakistani military actions late Friday night. "India carried out precision strikes on eight Pakistani military sites in response to a series of coordinated attempted attacks by Pakistan on Indian Air Force installations,” the MEA stated.
Pakistan had launched drones, loitering munitions, high-speed missiles, and fighter jets across more than two dozen locations from Srinagar to Nalia. The intrusions targeted both military bases—including Udhampur, Pathankot, Adampur, and Bhuj — and civilian areas around IAF installations in Srinagar and Awantipora.
"Actions have been effectively countered and responded appropriately," said Colonel Sofiya Qureshi, while addressing the media alongside Wing Commander Vyomika Singh and Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri. "Indian armed forces reiterate their commitment to non-escalation, provided it is reciprocated by the Pakistan military."
Wing Commander Singh noted that over 26 air intrusions were attempted along the western front. "Indian armed forces successfully neutralised these threats," she said, adding that despite that, "limited damage was sustained to equipment and personnel at Indian Air Force stations at Udhampur, Pathankot, Adampur and Bhuj." She further described “a deplorable and cowardly act” by Pakistan, referring to “several high-speed missile attacks” launched after 1:40 a.m. targeting airbases in Punjab.
In swift retailiation, India stuck 8 military sites. Each target selected by India was a military installation, including command centers, radar sites, and infrastructure tied to the Pakistan Air Force. The Murid base in Chakwal, for example, hosts Pakistan's unmanned combat aerial vehicles, while the Rafiqui base in Jhang houses advanced fighter squadrons. Nur Khan base in Chaklala supports air mobility command, with heavy lifters and refuelling aircraft.
The Skardu and Bholari bases, both struck in the operation, hold strategic significance due to their location and role in PAF combat training and deployment.
India is believed to have used the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile for the first time in combat during a series of precision airstrikes on Pakistani military targets early Saturday, The Indian Express reported on Sunday. India launched coordinated precision airstrikes early Saturday on eight Pakistani military sites, deep inside enemy territory. The strikes, carried out using advanced air-launched munitions, followed a series of attempted attacks by Pakistan targeting Indian military and civilian installations.
Key Pakistani bases — Rafiqui (Shorkot, Jhang), Murid (Chakwal), Nur Khan (Chaklala, Rawalpindi), Rahim Yar Khan, Sukkur, and Chunian (Kasur) — were among those hit. The Indian Air Force also targeted radar sites at Pasrur and Sialkot, as well as strategic airbases at Skardu, Bholari, Jacobabad, and Sargodha, reportedly inflicting extensive damage.
Air-launched precision weapons used in the operation likely included the SCALP cruise missile, HAMMER precision-guided munitions, and the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile — potentially in its first operational use. Both HAMMER and SCALP can be deployed from Rafale fighter jets. Official confirmation on BrahMos use remains pending, but multiple sources indicate its deployment, according to the report.
India's Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) confirmed the strikes were a direct response to Pakistani military actions late Friday night. "India carried out precision strikes on eight Pakistani military sites in response to a series of coordinated attempted attacks by Pakistan on Indian Air Force installations,” the MEA stated.
Pakistan had launched drones, loitering munitions, high-speed missiles, and fighter jets across more than two dozen locations from Srinagar to Nalia. The intrusions targeted both military bases—including Udhampur, Pathankot, Adampur, and Bhuj — and civilian areas around IAF installations in Srinagar and Awantipora.
"Actions have been effectively countered and responded appropriately," said Colonel Sofiya Qureshi, while addressing the media alongside Wing Commander Vyomika Singh and Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri. "Indian armed forces reiterate their commitment to non-escalation, provided it is reciprocated by the Pakistan military."
Wing Commander Singh noted that over 26 air intrusions were attempted along the western front. "Indian armed forces successfully neutralised these threats," she said, adding that despite that, "limited damage was sustained to equipment and personnel at Indian Air Force stations at Udhampur, Pathankot, Adampur and Bhuj." She further described “a deplorable and cowardly act” by Pakistan, referring to “several high-speed missile attacks” launched after 1:40 a.m. targeting airbases in Punjab.
In swift retailiation, India stuck 8 military sites. Each target selected by India was a military installation, including command centers, radar sites, and infrastructure tied to the Pakistan Air Force. The Murid base in Chakwal, for example, hosts Pakistan's unmanned combat aerial vehicles, while the Rafiqui base in Jhang houses advanced fighter squadrons. Nur Khan base in Chaklala supports air mobility command, with heavy lifters and refuelling aircraft.
The Skardu and Bholari bases, both struck in the operation, hold strategic significance due to their location and role in PAF combat training and deployment.